“Those working in these sectors have a precise responsibility towards others, particularly those who are most frail, weak and vulnerable. It is intolerable that thousands of people continue to die every day from hunger, even though substantial quantities of food are available, and often simply wasted. Likewise, we cannot but be moved by the many refugees seeking minimally dignified living conditions, who not only fail to find hospitality, but often, tragically, perish in moving from place to place.”
– Pope Francis

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I had a vision this morning in which I could see a huge creature silently striding over the countryside. It had massive hands and feet and two horns upon its head.
It moved with complete silence.

Every time someone came out to see what was going on, the creature would swoop down with its massive hand and silence them, or crushed them under its feet. All this was done without a sound. No one knew what was creeping up upon them until it was too late.

The creature silenced the whole land and no one was left to raise a warning of what had come. Those remaining dared not indicate opposition for fear that they would be silenced.

They smiled and pretended everything was normal.

I read the first reading from the liturgy for the day, 1 Kings 11:29-32,12:19

One day when Jeroboam had gone out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh accosted him on the road. Ahijah was wearing a new cloak; the two of them were in the open country by themselves. Ahijah took the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve strips, saying to Jeroboam, ‘Take ten strips for yourself, for thus the Lord speaks, the God of Israel, “I am going to tear the kingdom from Solomon’s hand and give ten tribes to you. He shall keep one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.’ And Israel has been separated from the House of David until the present day.

I took this to prayer this morning and I observed the image of an Australian flag with a knot tied in the centre.

And this in prayer later today.

Luke 4:14-22

Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him.
He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips.

Then just now I was sent the image that accompanies this post.
Today marks Dietrich Bonheoffer’s birthday, a German theologian known for his opposition to the Nazis.